There is a growing trend now to play the more northern links courses in Ireland and forget about the Legacy Links that spread from Lahinch south to Waterville. Some say the price of golf is cheaper up North and that is the main reason. Links fatigue could be another answer. I mean that golfers might not want to admit that they just cant hack the tough terrain of Lahinch, Ballybunion, Tralee and Waterville anymore!
Such thinking is not the kind that any real golfer would admit to, so it is easire say trite things like " we can get golf for such and such in Ballyliffin" etc. You know the patter and perhaps you are taken in by it.. But consider for a minute the whole package in a place like Lahinch. Golf first of all is played on an old Tom Morris course that was redesigned by Mc Kenzie ... that is a hybrid of Augusta meets St Andrews!!! Who would want to eschew that kind of pedigree for a dew bucks less!!! Then the golf itself is very much part of the village life - you can escape from the second green to the back door of Tom Frawleys bar and be back in time to fuinish out your putt in regulation time!!
Then there is the character of Tom Frawley - an nonogenerian bar tender who has seen it all and runs a quaint old pub that was established in 1839 and that has not had a change except for the provision of a central heating radiator since 1959!! And although he is old and sometimes docile, he may burst into song or regale you with his wisdom in between fits of unannounced sleep while he takes a breather from pulling the half dozen or so pints that his trade demands every hour!!
Go further up main street and you meet the caddy who has toiled for you all day and given you more sound advice than any brokerage on wall street or any economist could garner regarding the turbulent times past or ahead!
The pubs of character and hospitable inns of the likes of Lahinch are seldom replicated elsewhere, especially up North.
So consider the South West for your golfing expedition and start in Lahinch where you will be "cultured" on how to approach the game , life and the weather and you will go on to emulate the very best of golfing bretheren who have known this fact for many years already.
While you are at it - look up Vaughan Lodge where true quality is afforded and affordable to the aspirants of low scores and low handicaps as tey toil there journey through the heavenly links of the South West
